‘African born again’ white man gets job meant for black directors

A man has found himself at the centre of a debate around race and identity after he was awarded a prestigious job set aside for ‘people of colour’ despite being born to Irish, white parents.

Anthony Ekundayo Lennon identified himself as ‘mixed heritage’ on the application forms for the Arts Council England residency and trainee-ship he was awarded. The prestigious position comes with a grant of £406,500, or over R7.5 million.

His parents, however, are both Irish and white, and Lennon has been open about being white in the past, although he says he has “gone through the struggles of a black man.”

Lennon’s adopting a black identity appears to be as a result of him looking, at least partially, black.

“When my hair was shorter it looked like a little afro and people just assumed you’re half-caste,” he said as a guest on BBC show Everyman, on which he discussing his racial identity. “When I was younger I would try to explain. After a while, I just got sick of it, the explaining.”

READ MORE: The confusion at the heart of Rachel Dolezal, the ‘black white woman’

“When I’m alone in my bedroom looking in the mirror, thinking about the stuff I’ve written down, my past, relationship-wise, pictures on the wall … I think I’m a black man,” he continued.

Lennon works for a black-led theatre, Talawa, who said: “As an artist of mixed heritage, he is not only eligible for the position, but his experience, work and achievements make him an exceptional person for the role.

“Talawa were satisfied Anthony was eligible for the opportunity as a result of a relationship with him over a number years, in which he has identified as a mixed-heritage individual.”

READ MORE: Rachel Dolezal: why ignoring the painful past of ‘passing’ is indefensible

But Lennon’s claim of mixed-heritage appears to stem only from his appearance.

“My parents are white and so are their parents, and so are their parents, and so are their parents,” he said in 1990.

He has described himself as a “born-again African” and adopted the Yoruba middle name Ekundayo, changing it from the one given to him by his parents, David.

The story has drawn comparisons with the controversy that Rachel Dolezal faced when it was discovered that she was white after a life of identifying as black and lobbying for African-American causes. Dolezal continues to identify as black, despite many black people finding her doing so problematic.

Black women’s rights activist Paula Akpan told The Independent that choosing to be black is “not how race works at all”, and black actors including Luke Elliot have expressed outrage about Lennon “taking up the little resources” reserved for black artists.

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